


As Monsters Do

by Whoareyou0000



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexual Raphael Santiago, Comic-Con, Homoromantic Raphael Santiago, Hotel Dumort, Hurt Simon Lewis, M/M, Nerdy Simon Lewis, POV Raphael Santiago, Pansexual Simon Lewis, Pre-Relationship, Protective Raphael Santiago, Reference to comics, Simon Lewis Lives at Hotel Dumort, Simon Lewis Loves Raphael Santiago, Simon Lewis Needs a Hug, Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago Fluff, Soft Raphael Santiago, Soft Simon Lewis, Vampire Simon Lewis, fledgling Simon Lewis, vampires in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27167653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whoareyou0000/pseuds/Whoareyou0000
Summary: The world sees them as monsters, demons, violent entities whose' sole purpose is to harm. When the sun rises outside of Raphael's room, though, they are no more than two men laughing, teasing, and falling in love. As monsters do.
Relationships: Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago
Comments: 5
Kudos: 118





	As Monsters Do

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Shadowhunters, Archie, Spiderman, or Morbius the Living Vampire. The Archie references are to the comic books, not Riverdale. 
> 
> Author's Note: So, if you can't tell by my Saphael contributions so far, I live in a world where seasons 2 and 3 generally don't exist and these two always live happily ever after. This one is mostly Saphael fluff with some deeper discussion about the world at large. Also, cosplay, comic books, and nerdy Simon (which is my favorite Simon). Enjoy and please review!

“They’re ruined. All of them. How am I supposed to read these anymore, Raph?”

Raphael lifted tired eyes from a tortured copy of Moby Dick and spotted his fledgling hanging halfway off the bed from the waist up, head towards the ground and comic book in hand. Thick, wavy hair flailed almost comically from Simon’s head, and Spiderman’s upturned face glared at the ornate chandelier as he fought against a spandex-wearing vampire. 

“I’d recommend right side up.” 

Simon did an awkward somersault off the bed and landed on his butt, one middle finger still stuck between the glossy pages. “Ow.” He shook his head, shifted to the side, and touched his bottom with his free hand. “Well, that sucked.” 

“Dios, how have you survived this long?” Raphael quickly scanned his fledgling, biting back a relieved grin when he found no serious injury, and turned his own page. “If you would sit on the bed correctly, then that wouldn’t happen.” 

“Yea yea, I know. It’s always my fault.” He pushed himself up to a standing position and trapped the comic within his armpit. “Nothing just happens independently of _me_ screwing up. Oh no, everything must have been perfect at the hotel before I moved in.” 

Raphael indulged the tantrum for the moment. The flustered boy paced, his cheeks flushed from his dinner and his hair standing up at odd angles. The Batman pajama pants only added to the image of a frustrated baby vampire. The word _cute_ sat upon Raphael’s tongue, but he swallowed it down in favor of their usual flirty banter. 

“If you mean quieter and less amusing, yes.” 

Simon cocked his head, eyebrows knitted. Raphael crooked his lip. 

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment, but I’m going to take it as one.” He grumbled and walked, waving the comic around in a dramatic gesture at nothing in particular. “I just mean, every villain, every monster, in these comics looks like us, or Luke, or Magnus, or Meliorn. Do mundanes really think we’re that bad?”

Raphael turned a page, pretending to read the text. “Don’t ask stupid questions, Baby.” 

The comic hit the floor with a loud slap. Raphael worriedly met a pair of big brown eyes that had no right being that cold and angry. “It’s not stupid. This is wrong, Raph. They’ve got it all wrong. Why do they make us into monsters?”

The fledgling’s insistent tone told Raphael that he wouldn’t be able to ignore this particular line of questioning. With a heavy sigh, he closed his book and set the yellowing brick of paper upon the side table. Then he pushed himself up into a sitting position on the couch and straightened his sleeves.

“I have no idea what you want me to say, Simon. I told you, we aren’t monsters.” 

Simon retrieved the comic from the floor and approached directly.

“Okay, but look.” He sat on the edge of the coffee table and flipped it open, showing Raphael a page with a villainous-looking vampire laughing, his face creased and his eyes ablaze while Spiderman’s face contorted in pain. “I know some of us are bad, like Camille, but she’s one vampire out of, like, hundreds. How is it fair to classify an entire species by the few?”

The fledgling, for once, waited patiently for his clan leader’s response. Raphael pursed his lips and swallowed, choosing his words carefully.

“It’s not fair, you’re right, but the Downworld is complicated, Baby. Those of us who aren’t _monsters_ tend to keep to ourselves and have little interaction with mundanes. Those who are, interact in violent ways and give us a bad name. That doesn’t justify their ignorance, of course, but it’s the way of the world and it’s why we have to take care of our own.” 

Simon deflated then, pulling the comic back slowly and running a shaky hand through his hair. The defeated look on his fledgling’s face was enough to make Raphael want to rip up every one of those books. Then Simon continued, and Raphael softened. 

“It’s just, comics have been, like, a substantial part of my life. They’re how I learned to read, they got me through my dad dying and the days when my mom was too drunk to get out of bed. Before I knew Clary, when I had no friends, I had my comics.” He raised his head and met Raphael’s eyes with such desperation that the older vampire nearly broke. “I know everything’s different now, and I’m trying to adapt or whatever, but I thought I could at least still have this as a coping mechanism. What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to not feel so alone?” 

Raphael’s protective instincts alerted at Simon’s admission. He scooted forward on the couch until their knees touched and dug deep for a proper response that would calm his fledgling. 

“You are not alone, Pequeño.” He reached forward and traced a thumb over the artery in Simon’s exposed wrist. “The most important thing to remember is that we don’t need the mundanes’ understanding to know who we are. You have your clan and me. We’re your family. We understand what you’re going through and we’ll always be here to help you cope.” He paused for an unneeded breath. “And I want you to come to me if you feel sad or alone.”

 _Because I love you,_ Raphael thought, but that confession could wait for another day. 

The fledgling’s lips slowly curved into a sad smile and he found Raphael’s face like a man seeking a god. Raphael scooted closer, their legs now entwined, and listened.

“That time that I called you a monster, I was ignorant, closedminded, and wrong. I’ve met a few monsters in my life and only one of them belonged to the Downworld. I’m sorry that I didn’t understand sooner.” 

Raphael tried to recall the last time anyone had apologized to him for anything and failed. Of course, it would be the fledgling. He’d capsized everything in Raphael’s world and created a comfortable chaos that turned a dank hotel into a happy home filled with a warmth the clan leader hadn’t realized he’d needed and, surprisingly, craved. 

Now, their hands locked, he released Simon. 

“Thank you for the apology, but there is nothing to forgive. I wouldn’t blame a baby for fearing the dark because it doesn’t know any better. You were afraid and you had every reason to be.” Simon visibly relaxed. “I understand that this isn’t easy for you, but you’re learning and growing as expected and I’m proud of you, fledgling.” 

That earned a real Simon smile, the kind that lit up the entire room and sent an electric charge straight to Raphael’s dead heart. Their hands remained clasped and Simon showed no intent to pull away. The older vampire held on for maybe longer than he should have, savoring the contact that made him feel more human, more _alive_ , than anything. Finally, Simon looked away, carefully untangling their limbs, and cleared his throat, his cheeks pink again. 

“Well, so much for Peter Parker.” He aimed the comic before tossing it towards Raphael’s trash, making a loud crash when it missed and yet somehow still managed to overturn the can. Raphael rolled his eyes. Simon grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. “Guess I should work more on my hand-eye coordination, huh?” 

“Clearly, Idiota, but first…” Raphael stood and approached his closet. “…perhaps, I can suggest some alternative reading material.” He reached up to the highest shelf and brought down a small wooden chest. He deposited it on the bed and filed through until he found the desired surprise. Simon was already standing in anticipation when Raphael returned and placed the comic into his waiting hands.

“Morbius the Living Vampire.” The fledgling beamed, his fangs briefly dropping in his excitement, and flipped through the book quickly. “Wait, does he have his own series? As a hero?” 

“A complicated one, but we all are.” Raphael took great care in his next proposition. “There is more where that came from. Believe it or not, there are plenty of artists out there who not only understand the Downworld, but also belong to it. I’ve met a few myself. There’s a convention this weekend and I’d be happy to introduce you.” 

Simon’s head shot up, immediately removing his face from his new entertainment. “You’re a nerd!” Raphael rolled his eyes so hard he saw his own brain. “I knew you were actually getting my references, even when you pretended to ignore me.” The boy vibrated. “This is awesome.” 

He squeezed Simon’s shoulder, mostly just to keep him still long enough to finish his thought.

“Congratulations, Baby, you’ve figured me out. Now, I’d prefer if we could keep this between us. I know you’re not scared of me, but the _real monsters_ need to be.” 

“Right, sure.” Simon followed him back to the couch. Raphael didn’t even flinch when the fledgling sat immediately to his right, their thighs touching. Those boundaries had been quietly breached at some point in the last few months and Raphael, shockingly even to himself, felt no need to reconstruct them. When eyes as big as saucers turned his way, he almost blushed. “So, um, does this convention involve cosplay?”

Raphael rubbed the bridge of his nose and prayed for strength. “Simon…” 

“You’ve read Archie, right? I’ve always wanted to cosplay Kevin. We should do it together.” Then Simon found new interest in his shirt sleeves, chewing his lip. “I mean, if it’s your thing which I totally get it’s probably not your thing, at all, it’s just that Clary and I were planning on doing a Kevin and Veronica thing and now she’s saving the world and I’m allergic to sunlight so I don’t think that’s gonna happen anytime soon and that’s fine because I think I’d rather…I’d rather do it with you anyway.” 

The last part came out in one long, whispered syllable. Raphael’s eyes lit briefly. He considered the flustered fledgling currently scratching a hole into his pants with nervous fingers and made a decision. “Okay, as long as I get to be Jughead.” 

A few seconds passed wherein Raphael fought the urge to backtrack and hope his subtle admission went unnoticed. Then Simon finally caught up and he erupted into a smile that could rivel the sun itself and Raphael’s shoulders slumped with the loss of a heavy burden. 

“That’s perfect. I love Jughead!” Simon faltered, suddenly realizing his slip, and immediately put an inch between them. “…and everything he represents for the community. I’m not actually gay, I’m pan, you know _hearts not parts_ , but Kevin is my favorite character so…anyway I’m sorry if I freaked you out or made you uncomfortable and we can totally just be friends…” 

Raphael silenced him with a gentle hand on his arm.

“Asexual doesn’t necessarily mean Aromantic, Simon.” 

A raise of his eyebrows conveyed his point and when Simon’s face flushed again, he knew it landed. Morbius smiled up from the cushioned space between their bodies. They had a short conversation without speaking, wherein Raphael nodded his permission and Simon flapped his mouth until he found his courage.

“Okay. Yea, okay, So, at the risk of sounding like a cliché romantic comedy, it’s a date?”

“Yes, Baby, it is.” Simon shared another brilliant smile which Raphael allowed himself to return, just this once. Satisfied that all remained right with the fledgling again, Raphael retrieved his book and leaned back onto the couch. “Now, can you sit still long enough so that I may finish my chapter?” 

Simon nodded enthusiastically. “Yea, yes of course.” Raphael leaned back into a pillow and Simon reclined with his head on the opposite arm of the couch. He cracked open his comic book, giggling here and there as he lazily flipped the pages.

Of course, Simon’s restless legs inevitably became tangled in Raphael’s. The clan leader grumbled, hiding his smile behind Melville, and Simon laughed an apology before Raphael started a completely unprovoked, per Simon, tickle fight using just their toes. 

As monsters do when they’re in love.


End file.
